Dismal Dances
by Northshore
Summary: A strange woman threatens Data outside a bar. Rating for some humor and to be safe.
1. Chapter 1: The Bar

Author's Note: I wanted to re-imagine some of what happened with Data after Descent. I've basically stuck to everything up until the end of Descent part II, and then changed what happened to him after that. I don't want to say anything more because I don't want to give anything away! I probably won't throw in much from movies or particular episodes and I won't stick to post 6th season cannon. You've seen all that. ;) This begins a couple months after Descent part II.

This is my first fan fiction attempt...it's been fun!

Chapter 1: The Bar

"Excuse me! Can I get a martini over here?" Commander Riker smiled at the comely human bartender. She was a redhead, and he thought he saw her wink at him.

He really enjoyed these fringe "wild west" colonies. They were always so active, so vibrant. The rich food was almost never replicated. Real old fashioned drinks. Boisterous patrons filled the bars; unlike those more subdued residents of the more central planets. Oh, and the women! This is how he imagined Earth to have been 400 years ago. Sometimes the utopian Federation could be so…

"Sir?" Riker hadn't noticed the pair of innocent yellow eyes gazing at him. He wondered how long Data had patiently waited before speaking.

"Yes, Mr. Data."

"Commander, a Klingon female wanted to know what I am 'packing.' I told her that our ship is in orbit so I saw no need to organize any impedimenta. She appeared displeased and has retreated to that corner." The android officer tilted his head subtly in the Klingon's direction. "Did I do something wrong?"

Riker sighed. The second officer took this as an invitation to sit down on the bar stool next to the commander. "It's not that you did anything wrong…it's just…are you staying here?"

"Yes. You are alone. Perhaps you would enjoy some company." Data smiled as broadly as he could. In truth, this was just a slight twitch in the left side of his mouth. He raised his eyebrows as if he were hopeful.

Unable to think of what to say, Riker just nodded and looked once again at the redheaded company that he wished he could be keeping. She returned, smiling, with a martini and set it before him.

"Freshly stirred," she said. "This is the real deal, Starfleet."

"Thank you," Riker took a sip. After so many months of synthehol the gin burned. He tried to keep a straight face. "It's exquisite. It matches the mixologist."

Just as she blushed, Data leaned forward with his mouth open and one hand rose as if he wanted to ask a question. Riker grabbed that hand and held it down. Data got the hint and leaned back again.

The bartender's smile broadened and turned to Data. "What would you like?"

The lieutenant commander seemed to consider this for a moment. "I do not know. Prune juice."

"Prune juice? Why…? We don't have that. How about some cranberry and vodka."

Data nodded and the bartender turned away to mix another drink. He leaned over to Commander Riker. "Worf recommended my initial choice. However, I have not imbibed in cranberry and vodka before so I suppose this will be acceptable."

Riker stifled a laugh. "So, I didn't expect to see you down here. Hell, I'd have expected Worf before you."

Data nodded and abruptly tilted his head to the side. "When Captain Picard gave us a week to 'relax' I had initially intended to spend it working on several paintings." The android paused, as if he were considering something very carefully. "I finished the paintings, Commander, two days into the seven days we have been permitted leisure. I needed feedback on the works; so I asked Captain Picard to provide it."

"Uh-huh," Riker said. _Where the hell is this going, Data?_he thought.

"After critiquing only 17 of my 54 works he told me you might desire some companionship."

Riker tried not to slump too visibly on his stool. "I see. Well, the captain was right. I was looking for companionship."

The android gave him the lopsided-sort-of-smile again and turned to receive his cranberry and vodka from the bartender.


	2. Chapter 2: The Woman

Chapter 2: The Woman

The night wore on and many more patrons shoved themselves into the bar. Riker and Data were pushed together. Their abdomens touched the bar and their shoulders pressed together constantly. The room burned with body heat. Data didn't notice this, and, having finished 14 drinks of varying chemical compositions, found the evening to be quite successful.

He turned to his commanding officer, "This entire evening has been very intriguing!" Noticing Riker's red, sweat-drenched face, he paused and raised his eyebrows to show concern. "You do not look well, sir."

"It's hot in here," Riker wiped his forehead with a napkin. "I think we should call it quits and get back to the Enterprise." He reached over and touched the shoulder that had been rubbing against Data's and then touched his colleague's shoulder. "Wait…you give off that much heat?"

Data was nonplused. "I am at my usual temperature, sir. Thirty-seven degrees Celsius."

Riker kept his hand on the second officer's shoulder. "It seems hotter…"

"Let us get you back to the Enterprise, sir." Data tapped his comm badge. "Data to Enterprise."

He waited. No response.

Riker tapped his own badge with the same results.

"Perhaps we should go outside," Data offered. "There could be something in the building blocking our signal."

The two of them pushed through the crowd into a cool, dark night. This planet had no moons but the stars were much brighter and more numerous than those on Earth since it was located nearer to the center of a galactic arm. The lieutenant commander tapped his badge again. No response.

"Is there a problem, gentlemen?" A female voice quietly inquired from behind them.

They turned to see a short woman. Data observed that she was 1.65 meters tall with her long raven black hair pulled back, pale skin, and orange eyes. Her features were sharp, with high well defined cheekbones. She wore a nondescript black jumpsuit. He opened his mouth to respond, but Riker interrupted.

"No. Thank you. We're fine. Do you know where we can go to spend the night?" Something about her made him uneasy and he didn't want her to know they were in any kind of trouble.

Her eyes lingered on Data before turning to the first officer. "There is an inn about three blocks away. I can take you there." Her tone was flat. Cold.

"No. Just point us in the right direction."

She seemed to glide closer. Riker instinctively moved toward the android officer. "It's no trouble," she purred, coolly. "And I do not bite. Come." She began walking.

The two officers, both egged on by curiosity, followed. "What is your name?" Data asked.

"I am Tisiphone."

"Ah, I am Data. I have never seen a race like you. Are you from this region of space?"

"There are few of my species."

"I am very familiar with this region. Perhaps I have overlooked your home planet…"

"You did not." Tisiphone was curt, her words clipped. Riker wondered what this woman was hiding.

Data nodded. Being a rather candid person, he was puzzled by her elusive answers.

Tisiphone dropped back to walk next to Data and Riker. Somehow she managed to turn her head to keep her eyes on Data while walking forward. She sidestepped all obstacles effortlessly while doing so. "So, Commander Data, tell me; I have never seen a race that looks like _you_before. Are you from this region?"

"I am not. I am an android built by a human. I regard him as my father. So, one could say Earth is my ultimate origin." Data didn't notice Riker cringe. _Data, you're too trusting, sometimes,_ he thought.

"Ah, a child of Man," Tisiphone hissed, smirking.

Data seemed surprised by Tisiphone's tone.

Riker was downright unnerved. "I think we can continue by ourselves, thank you."

"Fine," Tisiphone said, her voice no longer cold, but mocking. "You had your choice, _Data_."

In a green swirl of light she disintegrated before them.


	3. Chapter 3: The Puzzle

Chapter 3: The Puzzle

"After she transported out, we could contact and beam to the ship." Riker finished.

He and Data sat on the captain's couch with hastily dressed Captain Picard in the chair in front of them. It was 0100 and his two most senior officers had awakened him, but their story was both interesting and disturbing. The captain sipped his Earl-Grey and leaned back, taking in the report. Finally, he turned to his second officer.

"Well, Data, I suppose it would have been better if we had continued looking at your paintings. Your thoughts?"

If Picard hadn't known better, he would have thought Data seemed shaken.

The android paused for an unusually long time. "I am still trying to understand what choice she was referring to, sir. Commander Riker decided that we would part ways with her, yet she addressed me."

"And you can think of no other reason why the two of you could not contact the Enterprise?"

"It may have been a coincidence. There is no direct evidence that 'Tisiphone' interrupted our signal."

The captain exhaled slowly while leaning back in his chair, cup of tea in hand. "My impression is that she threatened you, Data."

Riker nodded. "Mine as well."

"Threatened me, sir? I have no prior contact with her."

"Still, I would like to investigate this matter further. We must find this woman. Perhaps we can find some record of her transporter activity. Number One, I want you to have Lieutenant Worf check for unauthorized transporter traces aboard the ship and conduct a security sweep. We should be sure that hasn't decided to pay us a visit somehow. I would also like you and him to look for any evidence of unauthorized personnel on board. You're dismissed, Will."

"Aye, sir." Riker left the room.

Picard's eyes met those of his dear old friend. The second officer's face remained impassive. He awaited orders.

_I always feel so protective of him,_ the captain thought. Data could bend solid iron. He could hurl ten men across a room with no effort and calculate exactly where each could land but the android's gentle nature belied all of that.

He'd be damned if he'd let anyone threaten Data.

"Are you sure you're all right, Data?"

"Yes, sir. I cannot be frightened or bothered in that manner."

"Yes, I suppose not, Commander. Well, I would like you and Commander LaForge to see if you can find record in the sensors of her activity on the surface of the planet. Perhaps we caught her departure and presence."

"I am curious, sir," Data continued. "Our interaction with her may have been an isolated and innocuous event; yet you and Commander Riker seem apprehensive..."

Picard nodded. "I understand your confusion. Data, when someone threatens one of my officers, I take that very seriously. We need to investigate this further." He smiled. "But you're right. We may turn out to be chasing shadows."

"Understood, sir."


	4. Chapter 4: The Scanners

Chapter 4: The Scanners

_0115 and still in engineering_, thought Commander LaForge while standing over a computer console facing the warp core. He chuckled to himself. They had a week off and here he was working overtime. _How can I go to bed when the engine efficiency is 0.02% under what it should be?_

Well, the engine efficiency had been perfect, according to the specs. Better than perfect! Specs just weren't good enough for Geordi LaForge. He really thought they could do better.

"Geordi..." A voice from right over his shoulder. Nearly in his ear. Geordi jumped.

"Data! I thought we talked about this..." gasped the engineer.

The android seemed to consider his words for a moment. "Did I not first address you from 8.5 centimeters further than in our last similar encounter?"

"Well, I can't speak to that, but it definitely was not far enough away. Next time try saying my name from the doorway. Or maybe you should wear a bell like Spot's."

"A bell? Do you think the captain would approve?"

Geordi was tempted to say _He'd love it!_ but resisted in order to prevent an incident - even though he would have loved to have seen the captain's face. "No. It was a joke, Data. What's up?"

"This evening Commander Riker and I had a very unusual encounter with a woman on the surface of Kepler-10e."

"Well, that's what you get when you go out with Riker. Unusual encounters with women." Geordi bit his tongue too late and chuckled.

"Ah! You are implying that because Commander Riker is often..."

Geordi cut him off. "Yeah! Sorry. Don't tell anyone I said that." Sometimes Data getting a joke could be worse than him not getting it.

"Of course," Data awkwardly pretended to zip his lips shut. "Commander Riker and Captain Picard believe that this woman threatened me."

"What? Why?"

"We do not know. During our encounter with her we could not contact the ship. Immediately after we spoke to her she transported out and we were then able to communicate with the Enterprise. The captain would like you and me to see if the sensors picked up anything unusual on the surface of the planet or in the surrounding areas."

"What did she say? Why do they think she threatened you?"

Data shook his head. "She said 'You had your choice, Data.' We do not know to what 'choice' she was referring."

Geordi walked over to another console and pulled up the sensor logs. "Huh. What did she look like?"

"She said her name is Tisiphone. She had pale skin and orange eyes. Black hair pulled cleanly back in what humans would call a 'pony tail.' 1.65 meters in height. She was approximately 60 kilograms in weight if her chemical composition and density is similar to most organic lifeforms. She wore a well fitting, though not tight, black jumpsuit that was otherwise not significant stylistically. Her movements were most unusual." Data cut himself off. He'd learned that when he became too descriptive without prompting, humans tended to stop listening.

"Unusual how?" Geordi was now slowly reading the sensor logs. Data accessed the console to Geordi's left and began rapidly reading the same logs.

"They were unusually smooth. She was capable of sidestepping obstacles without looking at them. Her eyes were trained on Commander Riker and me as she walked."

"Wow. Could_you_ even do that?"

"I could if I knew the route well enough and nothing had changed. However, I do not because I have found that certain movements are seen by many humans as being 'unsettling.'"

"Yeah. I have to admit. That would definitely put you square in what they call the 'uncanny valley.'"

Data turned to ask what he meant but Geordi cut him off. "I think I found something!"


	5. Chapter 5: The Morning After

**Chapter 5: The Morning After**

It was 0700 and the senior staff had gathered in the observation lounge. Geordi tapped a few controls in front of his chair and an image appeared on the main observation lounge viewscreen. "Last night, when Data and Commander Riker were on the surface of the planet, we got some pretty unusual sensor readings between 0021 and 0046 from their general vicinity." The image zoomed in to show basic outlines of the bar's structure and three dots; two yellow ones to represent Commander Riker and Commander Data, and one red one to indicate the spot where they had detected the unusual transporter activity.

Data nodded, "It appears that a transporter similar to those utilized by the Borg was activated at the beginning and end of this time period."

"The Borg, Data?" Counselor Troi asked, concerned.

"The transporter was similar, Counselor, not identical," answered Data. "It does 'raise eyebrows,' but we do not believe they are in the sector as we see no other evidence of their presence."

"The Borg aren't usually shy about announcing themselves," added Geordi.

"We also have sensor readings of both Commander Riker's and my own combadge on the surface of the planet," continued Data. "However, we do not have any sensor readings of another life form in our vicinity during the time that we were speaking with the strange woman."

Riker frowned and leaned sharply back in his seat. "How is that possible? We saw her, Data!"

"I do not know. She may have been using some sort of sensor cloak to distort our readings. The same cloak may have been responsible for our inability to communicate with the Enterprise."

"Perhaps..." Captain Picard seemed to be deep in thought. "Mr. Worf, your report of the security sweeps last night."

"We detected no intruders, Captain."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. Well, perhaps you're right, Data. Maybe the similarity between the Borg transporters and those of this Tisiphone are similar by coincidence," said the captain. "However, given our recent unusual encounter with the Borg under Lore's influence, I think caution is in order. Could you figure out where she transported to after your encounter?"

"No, sir," Geordi shook his head. "We looked for sensor readings that would indicate the presence of a ship. Nothing, sir."

"If she was able to cloak her own lifesigns, though, we believe that she may also have a cloaked ship,' added Data."There is also the possibility that she is still on the surface of the planet."

"The cloaked ship of a hostile life form _would_ be a threat to the security of the Enterprise," said Worf.

Picard nodded sensibly. "I agree Mr. Worf. We will keep our security on high alert and modify our sensors to scan for tachyons and other particles that may indicate the presence of a cloaking device. We should not be alarmed but we should be cautious. Hopefully, we will never see this woman again. Dismissed."


	6. Chapter 6: The Panic

Chapter 6: The Panic

"Feline supplement number 34." At 1900 three days after his encounter with Tisiphone, Data waited while his cat's food rapidly assembled itself in a whirl of light. The past few days had been uneventful and they were preparing the leave the star system. They'd found no sign of Tisiphone, nor any ship or other abnormalities. Data ruminated on Commander Riker's final words on the situation: "Maybe she was just a crazy drunk."

Replaying the encounter in his mind, Data did not think that the woman appeared intoxicated. He wondered why she would have cloaked her own lifesigns, though.

With this thought, he retired to his desk and began examining the ship's operations data on a PADD. Routine cross referencing programs he'd created for his work grouped related tasks and shuffled the information into various files in his mind. A rhythmic tapping sound began to fill the room and Data looked down to realize he had been rapping his right index finger against his desk. He found himself feeling an odd need to fill some empty neural pathways. His maturing imagination had begun to run away with him. He replayed the encounter with Tisiphone again, moving his eyes about as if he were watching it unfold in front of him. If a human had entered the room, and it had been possible that he did not notice said human, he would have appeared in a trance. Really, he scrutinized Tisiphone's visage for any clue to who or what she was.

He had completed this task many times over the past three days and concluded that no new information would be available from reexamining the file. Examining it further was irrational, and Data was strangely intrigued by this fact. He would have to talk it over with Counselor Troi. He decided to move on to other activities.

"Computer. Please play Dvorak's _Cello Concerto in B minor_, Mozart's _Symphony N0. 41_, and Bach's _The Art of Fugue_ - all works."

"Beginning simultaneous playback," said the computer, knowing Data's habits.

Data leaned back to listen in a motion that appeared almost human. He'd been practicing that movement. Spot jumped up on his desk and he neglected to ask the cat to move. He did not mind her being there at the moment. Data lifted the PADD to his eyes and scanned the remainder of the operations data before gently setting the device back on his desk. He then called up 6 contemporary mystery novels on his computer screen and began reading them as slowly as he could. Data was determined to learn how to "enjoy a good book" the way Captain Picard did without rushing to the end. This proved to be impossible for him and he scanned the pages rapidly, finding 172 errors in reasoning in the process. The authors had clearly geared their writing to an audience with less than perfect memory. As he read the novels, he analyzed the meter and composition of his selected musical compositions, wondering, briefly, what it would be like to "feel" the music as humans do and not see it merely as a curiosity brought about by the congruence of human creativity and mathematics.

At 2330 Data decided that it was time to activate his dream program. He deactivated all of the devices in his quarters save a lamp near his bed. Spot leaped down and took her place in the window, eagerly watching as the planet swirled below. "Goodnight, Spot," said Data. Her ears twitched briefly in his direction.

Data sat on the edge of the bed and removed his boots. He remained in uniform. It had not been a "messy" day and he did not sweat nor shed skin cells. He felt no need to remove it tonight. Once he told Geordi that he only changed his uniform once a week but could probably wear it for several without anyone noticing. Geordi reacted somewhat negatively to this...to the fascination of his android friend.

He began to pull his feet up on to the bed.

Suddenly, he gasped and breathed rapidly for 14 seconds. He ran a self diagnosis.

Nothing unusual came up.

His breathing returned to normal but tightness grasped at his chest. His feet hit the floor and he grabbed his boots, pulling them on in two swift motions.

The rapid breathing returned. He heard himself whimper. Intriguing.

He ran another self diagnosis.

His hands shook as he tried to pull on the boots. He hit his combadge.

"D-Data to L-L-LaForge!" His voice didn't sound like his own. He stood and a strange weakness forced him to his knees on the floor. The room spun.

"Data? Are you okay?" Geordi's voice was sleepy but alarmed.

"No. Something..." He didn't finish. He grasped at the tightness in his chest. He wanted to crawl under his bed away from some unseen threat.

"Data! Hang on. I'm coming down, okay?"

"Computer! Lights!" Data managed to gasp.

The lights came on. He noticed Spot hiding under the couch. Struggling to his feet Data saw his own reflection in the window and paused. He appeared haggard, worn, wide-eyed, and terrified. He indulged in the brief fascination he had at seeing himself like this.

The door slid open and Geordi blew through with Dr. Crusher close behind. Both held cases full of equipment. Both paused in shock at the androids emotive face before Crusher commanded Data, "Lie down!" He stretched himself out on the floor, immediately, and stared up at his ceiling.

"What happened?" asked Geordi.

"I do not know. I began breathing rapidly and felt a need to hide. A self diagnosis showed no malfunction. I felt the room spin, but that does not make sense. It has remained stationary. My chest felt tight. I felt...something."

Dr. Crusher paused with her tricorder, "It's almost as if you're describing a panic attack."

"I thought I was dying."

"That's a panic attack, all right."

Geordi frowned, "Doctor, why would Data have a panic attack? I don't see any evidence of cascade failure."

Data winced at the words "cascade failure." He throat suddenly felt full as he thought of Lal. Something wet ran down the side of his face. He touched his eyes and examined the wetness on his fingers, intrigued.

"Geordi, could this have something to do with what Lore did to me?"

"What do you mean, Data?"

"Two months ago Lore forced me to feel emotions. They were all negative, as these are. Could that experience have done something to my programming... permanently?"

Geordi thought for a moment. "I would be surprised if that's what happened. We checked for any anomalies afterward. You've been fine."

He blinked, "I feel normal now."

"Do you think you can walk?" asked Geordi.

Data sat up rapidly, looking very much himself again. "Yes. I believe so."

"Okay. Let's get you down to engineering."

"But, Geordi, you need to sleep!" The android raised his voice only slightly for emphasis.

"Ha! Yeah! I could_try_ to do that, but I have a feeling I won't be able to until I know that you're okay." The engineer smiled and put a hand on his friend's shoulder.

Data nodded.

"I'll contact Captain Picard and let him know his second officer has had an incident, but is all right now." Crusher smiled. "He'll want to know."

...

In engineering at 0430 hours Geordi poured over his friend's subsystems in complete puzzlement. He knew Data's software like the back of his hand. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary. Maybe Data was right. Maybe he'd experienced some sort of after effect of Lore's little escapade. The chief engineer rubbed his forehead in frustration. The two friends were sitting where they could view the warp core through a pane of glass. The android, from a chair next to Geordi, stared at the warp core. He'd finished going through his own diagnosis hours ago and made his opinion clear while attempting to get his friend to go to bed. Geordi saw Data's current silence as a sort of passive resistance.

"C'mon, Data. Just humor me a little more here."

"I do not see the point. I believe that my programming has been altered at a level undetectable by any of our diagnostic criteria."

"Well, at least let me try..."

"Geordi, you have attempted the same techniques at several different times throughout the last four hours. To expect a different result, at this juncture, if I may borrow an old human idiom, is the definition..."

"...Of insanity," Geordi finished. "Yeah, yeah."

Data sighed and continued to observe the warp core. Geordi paused. Here he'd been spending all of his time with the computer reading text on the screen. His "patient" had been sitting right next to him. _Talk about bedside manner_, thought the engineer. _Good thing I'm not a doctor._

"Okay. Okay, Data. Tell me why you think this had something to do with Lore," he said. "Tell me what I can do to help." _Tell me you're not going to go off the rails and put wires in my head, again_, he thought with a shudder as he remembered Data's malevolent behavior during their last encounter with Lore.

"I do not believe I am dangerous, Geordi." Lately Data had become surprisingly perceptive.

"Well, that's good to know."

"During this evening's incident the emotions I felt were partially...felt by me. They also felt partially observed. My thoughts were my own. They were not externally influenced."

"Observed?"

"Yes. I cannot be certain as I have no frame of reference..."

"Well, just try to explain. It doesn't have to make 100% sense."

"Counselor Troi often senses the presence and the emotions of others, correct?"

"Yeah."

"I wonder what that is like..."

Geordi sputtered a little bit and then gained control of himself. "Wait a minute. Wait. Are you telling me you think you were sensing someone else's emotions? Like an empath?"

Data nodded. "For the most part, yes."

"Emotionless android to empath? That's a leap, Data."

"I agree. It is a 'leap.' However, I have received external information before from other machines." He touched the touchscreen display in front of him. "From the ship's computer, from Lal, from Lore..."

"I never thought of it that way. But that raises other questions..."

"Yes, it does. Where did the emotions come from? Some of them were partially from myself, as I have stated. Where did I get that ability and why have I lost it?"

Geordi and Data sat together in silence. Every algorithm Data ran stopped at a dead end. He could not answer his own questions.

"Data...which emotions were yours?"

The android's expression changed very subtly. He exhaled and turned to meet Geordi. "The sadness."

"What were you thinking about...?"

"Lal."


	7. Chapter 7: The Sadness

Chapter 7: The Sadness

As Lt. Commander Data left engineering, he wondered if he should have been more honest with his friend. Motivated by a strange impulse to be alone with his new feeling, he had not been entirely forthright about his experience.

It had never ended.

He had become aware of this at about 0032. A nagging sensation began to eat at the fringe of his consciousness. He could not articulate it except to call it "sadness." The emotion was not intense or overwhelming as the panic had been. Instead, it filled a vacant space in his positronic mind. He suspected that his ability to feel sadness had not fully developed and, until it had, the sensation would remain manageable. It was not pleasant, quite the opposite. Yet he felt a certain need to hang on to sadness and sought to hide it. Luckily, Geordi seemed to have ascribed his lack of cooperation to an interest in seeing the engineer get enough rest. Data saw this as an opportunity to be introspective.

This introspection held a certain fascination for Data. This was a new opportunity for him, and he had always found the most fascination in new experiences. He wanted to examine the impact of sadness on his psychological framework. He wanted to do this alone. He did not want to alarm his crewmates in any way. At 0500 he had finally convinced Lt. Commander LaForge to go "take a nap." This freed Data to enter the lab where he had constructed Lal; where he had been secretive about his own motivations four years earlier. The parallels were not lost on him.

As he crossed the floor of his lab, the sadness grew stronger. He reached the center of the room and placed a hand on the metal cage where he'd spent those months building his daughter. Where he'd first seen her face. Where she died. He sighed loudly and heard this sound echo against the silent walls of the room.

"I am sorry, Lal." He said aloud, without knowing what purpose this could possibly have served.

Twenty two seconds after he spoke he leaned his forehead against the closest bar of the cage. The bar absorbed some heat from his skin and some subroutine told him that a human would have felt this bar was cold. The android let the sadness reflect on his past experiences and examined the implications of having felt the emotion all along. He saw Tasha, Lal, Dr. Soong, Lore, Commander Maddox... He wondered at how the sadness changed character as he thought of each of these individuals. Perhaps, if he developed the ability to feel more emotions he would more fully understand why this was the case.

"Data?" a familiar, though surprising voice came from behind him.

He quickly turned to see Tisiphone wearing what may have been seen as a sympathetic expression.

"I see you got my gift, Data."

"Your gift?" Data touched his combadge. "Data to Lt. Worf."

"One emotion." She glided toward him. "It will not work. I have blocked communication. I just wish to speak to you."

Egged on by curiousity, Data decided to listen to her. "How did you get onto the Enterprise?"

"I have my ways," Tisiphone cocked her head to one side. "Is that really what you wish to ask me?" She stood two meters away from him now and a few steps below him. He stepped down so that they were at the same level.

"Why have you shown interest in me? How have you given me the ability to feel sadness?"

The young woman smirked, "You and I are the only two Soong type androids in the galaxy. Well, we are now - especially now that you have done away with my father."

Data stared, his mouth opened but he shut it again, uncertain of what to say.

"I believe I have answered both of your questions...in a way."

"Then, Lore..."

"Lore constructed me two years ago, shortly after your encounter with him in the Terlina system."

Data cautiously stepped closer. He touched Tisiphone's face. Her skin was slightly cooler than a human's and very smooth. Her orange eyes searched his face as she waited for him to speak. He observed her lack of unconscious movements and the blinking pattern of her eyes. He also found himself looking for a resemblance to himself and his brother. Lore was vain, so it had to be there somewhere. He observed that her nose was slightly long and mouth narrow. Lore had made her skin pale, but not as golden as his own had been. Her hair was darker.

"You don't believe me?" she asked.

"He did not mention you...why?"

"I don't know," she sneered. "I never got a chance to talk to him after you last saw him." She jerked her head toward the 'cage' in the center of the lab. "Did you tell him about Lal?"

"How do you know about Lal?"

Tisiphone shrugged, impassive.

"She did not survive. I saw no need..." he broke off. The sadness was stronger now.

Data changed the subject. "Lore did not attempt to make you appear more human."

"Why would he do that? My father hated humans." She let out a short snort that indicated she felt some exasperation. Data was reminded of his brother when she did so. "Why would he make me blend in with them? After all they did to him? Hell, I'm surprised I even have skin!"

"I do not believe humans wronged Lore."

"Of course you don't." Tisiphone slammed her body into a chair in a display of anger. She was carefully controlling this rage, though, because she did not break the chair. She flipped open a panel on her arm and absently wiped an artificial muscle inside, examining her finger after doing so.

"He harmed humans on many occasions," Data pointed out.

Tisiphone snorted again. "He said you'd say something like that." She snapped her arm shut and looked at her uncle; the left side of her lip raised in disgust. "You've been blind, Data. He tried to tell you but you always take their side. That's why I'm here."

Data blinked.

"You took everything from me. You took the one person who cared about me; the one person_I_ cared about, dear uncle," Tisiphone's voice broke and she stood, grasping at her chest for emphasis. She had inherited her father's flare for the dramatic. "I want _you_ to feel what_I_ feel."

"I believe you have succeeded," Data said.

"Oh, no. That little bit of sadness is just the beginning." She stepped closer, pointing at him. He felt her breath on his chin, slightly cooler than a human's would have been. It carried the scent of her artificial components as she glared up at him. She dropped her hands to her side. "You will feel alone, _Data_." She said his name as if it were a profanity.

"Tisiphone...we are both alone. You have done nothing wrong at this juncture. Perhaps we should discuss this further before you do. Perhaps we should cultivate a relationship of some sort," he said, attempting to be helpful. "During my time with Lal, I found that she added meaning to my life..."

"No! NO!" She cut him off while violently clapping her hands over her ears. Her eyes clamped tightly shut. He half expected her to toss herself upon the ground as he'd seen a toddler do in the arboretum six days prior.

He reached out and gently tried to pull her hands down but she would have none of it. "Tisiphone. You should not be alone. You will need me. I can guide you. We are family." He knew she could hear him.

Her eyes opened and for a moment her face softened. She regarded him carefully. He was reminded of the look on Lore's face when he learned that Dr. Soong was dying; that surreal moment when his brother showed an unusual capacity for affection. He rapidly replayed that memory in his mind. Recalling the file he saw Lore walk toward their father. _What do you mean you're dying? You look fine! You're not that old!_ At the time the other android's response had seemed baffling, but Data had matured since then. Lore's response now seemed very conflicted and consistent with a human.

He once again watched his niece's face. _Yes. The same expression._

Her response came in a near whisper. "I'm sorry, Data. I can't." She dematerialized in a swirl of light.


	8. Chapter 8: The Observation Lounge

**Chapter 8: The Observation Lounge**

At 0700 Data mostly felt like himself again. Or, rather, he felt nothing. He missed the emotion. It appeared to ebb and flow with little conscious control on his part. The residue of emotion that remained felt more like an imprint than the real thing. If he had been human, the entire night would have felt like a strange dream - but he could remember the past 12 hours in perfect clarity. He had alerted the captain and Lt. Worf of Tisiphone's visit as soon as she had departed. The captain wanted him to explain the situation more fully to the senior staff during the morning briefing.

So now he sat in the Observation Lounge next to Captain Picard who had taken his customary seat at the head of the table. Data was on the captain's right and Commander Riker on the captain's left. Counselor Troi sat to Commander Riker's left. Data found that he caught her gaze often and wondered if she was already aware of everything he would tell his fellow officers during the briefing. Geordi entered and sat next to Data with Dr. Crusher next to Geordi. Worf, having spent the last hour combing the ship with yet another security team, entered the room last and took his seat next to the counselor. Data wondered what would happen if he had taken Worf's seat. Would the Klingon be upset? He noticed the security chief was a creature of habit and...

Captain Picard was clearing his throat. "Well, let's get to it. Mr. Data, please..." The captain held one hand out to the android in a gesture that Data had learned meant, 'start talking now.'

"As many of you know," Data decided to begin with the most pertinent information first. "Tisiphone was on the ship last night. She approached me in the science lab and explained who she is. She told me she is a Soong type android...and Lore's daughter."

Everyone in the room, with the exception of Captain Picard and Worf, gasped.

Counselor Troi leaned forward, "What does she want?"

"She is upset over Lore's death and blames me," stated Data. "She wants me to feel her pain, so to speak."

"She can't be very old!" said Dr. Crusher.

"That is correct, Doctor. She is two years old. Lore built her shortly after my encounter with him in Dr. Soong's home."

"How the hell is she getting on the ship?" asked Commander Riker.

"We do not know at this time, sir."

Worf spoke up. "Since we are currently moving at warp speed, it is most likely that she has been on the ship ever since we left the planet where we first encountered her."

"And you haven't found her yet?" said Riker. He seemed angry.

The captain held up a hand. This time Data knew he meant 'stop talking now.'

"Now, Commander, it appears our guest has some sort of cloaking device that has rendered her invisible to our internal sensors."

"She must be invisible to the eye, too," added Geordi. "We had a lot of security teams out and no one has seen her. That's no small feat."

"I agree," said Data. "Although, if her auditory abilities are similar to my own, she would hear a security team before they reached her."

The captain looked at Troi. "Do you sense anything unusual, Counselor?"

"No, sir. But if she's blocking communication channels and sensors, she's probably also blocking any signals coming from herself. If her emotions are like Lore's, then I could sense them under normal circumstances." The counselor took a long breath. "If she were a biological humanoid, blocking emotional signals would be nearly impossible...but she's not. She should be sending a more direct energy signal that I would sense as emotion. It would be easier for her to alter that."

Troi gave Data a long meaningful look. The residue of emotion made his artificial 'heart' shake. "Data, is there something you're leaving out of this briefing?"

The android's yellow eyes flicked to the side where he saw his captain watching him expectantly. "Last night I had a panic attack, sir."

"Yes, Dr. Crusher informed me and you mentioned it this morning."

Troi interrupted, "But there's something else, Data."

"There is more," said Data, turning to Geordi. "I was not entirely open with you, Geordi."

"What do you mean?"

"I did not tell you when I found something unusual in my programming last night…"

His friend appeared stunned. "Data! Why wouldn't you tell me?"

He stopped for a moment and surveyed the room. Six pairs of expectant eyes stared back. "I felt an emotion. I hid it because I wanted to integrate the sensations alone. I felt sadness last night and that emotion stayed with me." He stumbled a bit over the words. He'd always found it easy to talk about anything, but he had little experience with this particular topic. "Tisiphone confirmed that she is the origin of the emotion. She has altered my programming in a way that allows me to feel sad."

"Have you thought about removing this 'new programming?'" asked Riker.

The android frowned. He hadn't considered that anyone would ask this question. "No, sir. I have been trying to understand it better. Perhaps I can somehow parlay this one emotion into a fuller range of feelings. I would prefer this to installing the emotion chip, as the effort yields its own rewards. Also, this one emotion is a great challenge. I cannot imagine the difficulties I would encounter if I suddenly felt many." He stopped and furtively glanced around the room at his friends when he realized he'd gone off topic.

Picard shifted in his chair, concerned and uncomfortably ventured, "Mr. Data, do you believe you could be...dangerous in any way?"

"That is a legitimate question, sir, and I am not offended that you asked it," Data responded in order to calm his superior's guilt. "But, no, sir. I am not compromised in that way. My responses are entirely my own and the programming that is producing the emotions appears to have been added to my subroutines in a unique way. With the exception of the panic attack, the responses I experience are not manipulated by any external source. They are appropriate to the situations and my own, as well."

He surveyed the room. His fellow officers were quiet and alert. In this instance, he concluded he could provide more information without losing their attention. "The emotion is not strong at the moment, but it is growing in influence over my systems. I cannot predict its path over the coming hours."

"But you still didn't tell me, Data." Geordi was wounded. "That's not like you. You could've told me."

Data hadn't considered that Geordi might consider his actions hurtful. "I am sorry, Geordi."

Troi broke the tension. "Data. I don't think you're compromised, either. I'm also here if you want any help understanding what you're feeling."

The other officers relaxed a little.

"Thank you, Counselor," responded Data. "I will be certain to take advantage of your assistance."

"Good," said Picard. "Well, let's find Lore's progeny, shall we?"


End file.
